Revelations
by Raistlin Mage
Summary: The X-Men are put to the test as new enemies arrive with sinister plans of their own.
1. Default Chapter

Prologue

            This is basically the default chapter.  My story begins after the mutants are rescued from Area 51.  There are some major changes, however.  For one, Mystique isn't left behind.  Second, many of the mutants in Evolution will be missing because, let's face it, I don't really like all of them.  Therefore, I have taken the liberty of forming a new X-Men team.  Also, each chapter is more like an episode, in case you wonder.  I'll give you the list of characters, and then I'll begin the real story.

X-Men

Professor Xavier 

Cyclops

Jean Grey

Shadowcat

Rogue (with super strength, flight, and invulnerability)

Jubilee

Ice Man

Storm

Havok

Nightcrawler

Brotherhood

Magneto

Mystique

Avalanche

Quicksilver

Scarlet Witch

Toad

Blob 

In case you're wondering why I took out certain characters, here's why.  I've never liked Wolverine.  Even from the very beginning, he was the one X-Man I just really disliked.  As for Spyke, he just never really appealed to me.  He was like the most useless one on the team.  I'm not going to include Gambit, Pyro, and Colossus because, although I thought they were cool, they just never played a big enough role in Evolution, so I never really got to like any of them.  You will, however, probably see cameos from the other X-Men recruits.  We'll see how it all turns out.


	2. The Arrival

The Arrival

Setting: The mansion has been fully rebuilt, and the students are back at school.  The Brotherhood has also fully recovered.  Magneto and Mystique are temporarily gone, searching for new recruits.

            Kitty happily walked into her last period class: painting.  It was her first day back to school, as well as for the others, and they were quite surprised by the reaction they received.  Although some people feared and hated them, the young mutants looked at the new semester as a good time for a fresh start.  

            About halfway through the period, a knock came from the door.  The students stopped working to watch the teacher open the door.  After speaking to what looked to be the principal, the teacher turned around to face her class.

            "Well, class." She tried to keep her composure, but everyone could tell how uncomfortable she was.  "Apparently, we have a new addition to our class.  Please welcome…Lance Alvers."

            Kitty was actually the only one who hadn't looked up, but she did when Lance's name was said.  Lance walked into the room with an annoyed look on his face.  The teacher told him to sit in the open spot next to Kitty.

            "Lance," Kitty whispered.  "Since when are you interested in painting?"

            "Believe me," Lance replied rolling his eyes.  "This is the last place I want to be."

            "Then what are you doing here?"

            "Let's just say I turned Home Ec. into Home Wreck," Lance smiled.

            "You were taking Home Ec?" Kitty was trying to hold in the laughter.

            "Hey.  Someone in that house has to know how to cook."  Kitty thought of the idea of Lance in an apron and burst out laughing.

            "Is there something you'd like to share Miss Pryde?" the teacher asked.

            "Huh."  Kitty stopped laughing to see that everyone was staring at her.  "Oh, uh…sorry."  Kitty slouched behind her canvas and continued to paint and giggle.

            When the bell rang, Lance escorted Kitty outside.

            "Say, Kitty.  You want a ride home?"

            Kitty saw him blush a little, which brought a small smile to her face.  "Thanks for the offer, but the girls and I are going to go to the mall.  Jean's driving."

            "Some other time then."

            "That would be nice."

            Kitty walked off to join Jubilee and Jean.  Lance watched them drive away and then turned to go to his locker.

            "Oh, Kitty," Pietro mocked Lance.  "I would love to take you home."

            "Oh, Lance," Todd played along.  "You're such a hunk. Of course I'll ride with you."

            Lance didn't even look at them.  He just raised his hand and Pietro fell on his face, while Toad fell out of the window.  Lance opened his locker and found a note addressed to him.  

            "What ya got there?" Fred asked, peeking over Lance's shoulder.

            "Nothing, Fred." Lance crumpled up the note and threw it behind him.  "Just someone's lame idea for a joke.  Let's get out of here."

           As Lance walked out of the school with the others, a figure emerged from a classroom, glaring at them.

**********

            The next day, Lance said he would meet his friends at his car, so he was alone when he went to his locker.  He found another note addressed to him.  Annoyed, he didn't even bother to read it.  He slammed his locker shut.  At this point, a cloaked and hooded figure grabbed him and slammed him into the lockers on the other side of the hallway.

            "Hey!" Lance protested.  'What's your problem?"

            "Do you really think I was joking?"

            "Lay off man!  You don't know who you're dealing with!"

            The cloaked figure slammed Lance harder on to the locker.

            "Wrong!  You don't know who _you're dealing with!  Now unless you want to make things worse, I suggest you take your punk ass friends and get the hell out of town!"_

            "No one threatens me!"

            Lance unclenched his fists and the ground began to shake.  The cloaked figure jumped back and disappeared out an open window.  Lance rubbed his shoulder and left.

**********

            "Hey, Wanda."  Todd hopped into her room from outside.  "Look what I got for ya."  He held out his hand, and in it was a bouquet of wilted flowers.  "Ain't I romantic?"

            Lance, who was about to go downstairs, stopped before he got to Wanda's door.  Just as he did, Todd went flying out Wanda's and into the next.  Upon reaching the living room, he sat down, and grabbed the remote.  Before he could press a button, Pietro ran into the room, sat next to Lance, and snatched the remote.  Not wanting to deal with his quite spontaneous friend, Lance got up while Pietro turned on the TV.

            "Early this morning," the reporter said.  "This very prosperous supermarket was attacked and demolished."

            "Wait a sec," Pietro said.  "Isn't that where Freddie went?"

            Lance slowly turned around, hoping not to see what he expected to see.

            "Not much is known about how, why, or who committed this violent act," the reporter continued.  "The only clue police have is this mysterious mark and an ominous warning left behind the culprits."

            Lance's eyes widened when he saw that the mark left by the criminals was the same on the note telling him and his teammates to leave.  The warning was addressed to them, and it even called them by name.

            "We have to get Freddie now!" Lance ordered. 

            They jumped into Lance's car and sped off.

**********

            "Guys!" Jubilee ran into the danger room.  "Come with me, quick!"

            The danger room sequence immediately shut off, and the teens followed Jubilee upstairs.  She led them to the kitchen where Xavier and Ororo were already waiting.  Jubilee pointed to the TV, causing most of the students to gasp when they saw what the TV was displaying.  After watching the news report, the team discussed the situation.

            "Looks like someone really has it in for them," Alex said.

            "Yeah," Scott agreed.  "But we're the only ones who know them as the Brotherhood."

            "Meaning whoever is after them must know that they're mutants," Jubilee added.

            "But why the Brotherhood?" Kurt asked.  "Why not us?"

            "That's a good question Kurt," Xavier responded.  "Seeing as to how we know that Mystique and Magneto are out of the country, this may be more complicated than it appears…and I plan on getting to the bottom of this immediately."

            Xavier left the kitchen, followed by Ororo, and headed straight for Cerebro.

            "So what are we gonna do?" Alex inquired.

            "I know," Jubilee said excitedly.  "Let's do some investigative work and go to the scene of the crime."

            "I'm not sure that would be such a good idea," Scott said.

            "Yeah," Rogue agreed. "That place must be swarming with cops.  There's no way we'd be able to get anywhere near there."

            While the group debated, no one seemed to notice Kitty phasing herself through a wall.

**********

            Kitty made her way to the Brotherhood's boarding house.  She was a bit worried when she didn't see Lance's car, but that wasn't the only emotion she was going to feel.  She planned to wait until they came back, but someone else decided to join the party.  A hand touched Kitty's shoulder, causing her to turn around and jump back.

            "Jean!"

            "You didn't really think that no one saw you leave did you?"

            "So, the others know."

            "Fortunately for you, I'm the only one who noticed."

            "I was just…"

            "You don't have to explain.  I get it.  Well, it doesn't seem like anything exciting has happened."

            Jean spoke too soon.  Suddenly, the girls began to hear a loud rumbling.  The earth didn't seem to be shaking, so they ruled out Lance.  When the two turned to look at the house, they noticed that the rumbling was emanating from there.  Jean and Kitty watched in paralyzing shock as the house caved in on itself.

            "Whoa," Kitty gasped.  "What just happened here?"

            Before Jean could answer, both girls heard tires screeching and hid.  Lance's jeep came into view, and stopped when, what used to be their home, came into view.  Everyone jumped out of the car and ran to the remains.

            "Was there an earthquake?" Todd looked confused.  "Because…I, uh…I didn't feel one."

            "Of course not you moron," Wanda said irritably.  "Look around you.  Someone target our house only."

            "Hey, Lance!" Pietro called.  "I think you better look at this."

            The three walked over to where Freddie and Pietro were standing.  The same symbol appeared on the grass, as well as another warning.

            Lance clenched his fists.  "This ends now."

            The Brotherhood walked back to the car and drove off.  Jean and Kitty ran over to see what the warning said.  Upon reading it, they both looked at each other and then ran back to the mansion.

**********

            The final warning had told the Brotherhood to go to a certain spot in the city, and that's where Lance drove the others.  What was odd was that, the meeting place, which is usually bustling with people in the afternoon, was completely deserted.  The groups stepped out of the car to survey their surroundings.

            "Glad you could make it," said a voice.

            The Brotherhood looked up to find five cloaked figures on top of a five-story building.  All five jumped off and landed not too far from the Brotherhood.

            "Where are all the people?" Wanda questioned.

            "Let's just say that all the people within a mile radius have to spend their day elsewhere," replied a female voice.

            "What is she talking about?" Freddie asked.

            "Who do you guys think you are coming here and threatening us?" Lance demanded.

            "We're the new bad guys in town," answered the same person Lance had encountered the day before.  "This place isn't big enough for all of us."

            "Yeah, well this is our territory, and we're not going to give it up with out a fight."

            "Hah!  We've seen your fighting capabilities, and they're pathetic.  Your failed to defeat the X-Men proves it's time for some new blood to bring a whole different reign of terror."

            "What are you talking about?" Pietro charged.  "We've beaten the X-Men."

            "But you couldn't have done it without your precious sister, and not even she is powerful enough to stop us."

            "All this talk is getting us no where," Lance said.  "It's time to get down to business."

            Lance looked at Pietro, who acknowledged by dashing towards their enemies and running around them.  His incredible speed caused a tornado-like reaction.  The wind was strong enough to rip the cloaks off their enemies, but it didn't seem to have any other effect than that.  In fact, the expression on their faces was as if they weren't impressed.  One of them, a man, outstretched his arms.  The moment he did so, Quicksilver stopped running.  Well, he was still running, but in slow motion.  A green-haired female magnetically lifted a fire hydrant and smacked it on to Pietro's chest, sending him flying into Lance's car.

            "They're mutants!" Todd exclaimed.

            A devious smile crossed Lance's face.  "Looks like this battle just got more interesting."

            Lance now took the initiative and outstretched his arms.  The tremor resulting caused the building on other side of the enemy to fall on them.  The result, however, wasn't what was expected.  The same mutant that slowed down Pietro also slowed down the crumbling buildings.  The girl with green hair once again took action by flinging all the metallic pieces at the Brotherhood.  Freddie stayed where he stood and effortlessly punched the debris away from him.  Toad had to continuously jump, even using his tongue to slap away smaller objects.

           A blonde woman dressed completely in white created a psychic javelin and threw it at the Brotherhood.  Wanda looked at it intently and it flew back at its thrower.  All five had to escape because, when the javelin hit the ground, it caused a small explosion. 

            The leader held out one of his hands, and the four remaining of the Brotherhood began to float, as if gravity had suddenly let go of them.  Wanda immediately used her powers to reverse the effects.  She couldn't get very far, however, because the white-dressed woman psychically knocked her out.

            Seeing their most powerful member incapacitated, Lance, Todd, and Freddie decided to go all out.  Freddie and Toad charged, while Lance prepared to cause an earth-shattering tremor.  The final member of the new team finally decided to do her share.  Circular waves began to emanate from her body.  Upon reaching their targets, the waves cause hallucinatory visions that made her foes dizzy and sick in the stomach.

            The leader stepped up, and placed his hands in front of him.  A swirling orb of energy formed between his hands.  "Now…it ends."

            The X-Men reached their destination as soon as they could.  Kitty ran to the front and peered out the window.  She couldn't see much because they were high up, but she could see the ball of energy.

            "Quick!" she commanded. "Get us out of here!"

            "What's going on?" Scott asked.

            "Just do it!"

            As the jet turned around, the ball of energy grew into an expanding dome.  The dome had an incredible gravitational field, drawing everything to it.  Lance and his teammates were flung on to buildings and other objects, and the force was so great, that every building the dome touched crumbled.  The dome was able to reach the X-Jet, but the plane was far enough so that it didn't feel the full effects.  It was strong enough, however, to cause the jet to crash.            

            The X-Men wearily and shakily stepped off the X-Jet.

            "Is everyone alright?" Scott asked.  He looked around as everyone nodded.

            Kitty ran to Kurt.  "Hurry!"

            With a puff of smoke, Kitty and Kurt disappeared.  They materialized at the epicenter of event.  Storm, carrying everyone else, arrived moments later.

            "Lance!"  Kitty yelled frantically.  "Lance!  Answer me!  Jean!"

            Jean nodded and put her fingers to her temples.  "Pietro is about a quarter of a mile that way, and he's in plain sight."  Kurt grabbed Alex and jubilee and teleported.  "Todd and Freddie are under the coffee shop.  Wanda's buried in the police station.  Lance is…Lance is…"

            "Lance is what?" Kitty demanded.

            "Lance is beneath us."

            The X-Men immediately spotted a large hole in the street not far form them.  Kitty slid through the asphalt.

            "Shouldn't someone else go down there too?" Bobby asked.

            Scott gave him the signal to go help Kitty.  Scott then ran to where Todd and Freddie were, firing his optic blasts as soon as he arrived.  Jean then used her powers to bring the two to them.  Meanwhile, Storm was creating a mini-tornado to uncover Wanda.  When the debris was cleared, Rogue went over to Wanda and carried her.  Kurt and the others showed up soon, leaving Bobby and Kitty.  Minutes passed before the two finally appeared.  

            Bobby came out first on his ice slide, followed by Kitty and Lance.  Once on the ground, she held him in her lap.  The team was getting ready to go back to the jet when something blasted them back.  They looked to see five figures standing on a fallen building.

            "What have you done?" Kitty screamed.

            "You know as well as we do that they're not dead," the leader replied.  "But they might as well be."

            "The Brotherhood may have been our enemies," Scott said.  "But they never deserved this."

            "This…was just a demonstration.  They were a minor nuisance that needed to be taken care of.  Next time, we're coming after you."  The five turned to leave.

            "Wait!"  Jubilee called.  "Who are you?"

            The leader smiled.  "The Marauders."  With that, the woman in white psychically knocked them out.    


	3. Default Chapter 2

Default Chapter 2  
  
You all must be wondering why I didn't name the Marauders. I know it makes it sound weird, not giving them names, but I do have a reason why. I wanted to hide the identity of these mutants until the very end. Of course, some of the may seem very familiar, and they are probably who you think they are. Anyway, this chapter was created so that you can get to know the newest villains in Bayville.  
  
The Marauders Vertigo- In the original X-Men cartoon, Vertigo first appeared when Magneto and Professor X went to the savage land. She has the power to cause dizzying and stomach turning sensation that are characterized by vertigo, hence her name. she's was my favorite Marauder in the cartoon, and she's the only member who I kept for my fanfic.  
  
White Queen- I bet you all guessed the woman in white with psychic powers was White Queen. If you didn't.Well, I'm not even going to comment. Anyway, White Queen is one of my favorite villains, but I'm going to try and portray her looks differently form the one in the cartoon. She's more like the White Queen in Generation X: longer hair, suit-like costume. Some of you might be wondering about that psychic lance she threw at the Brotherhood. Although she never did that in the cartoon, my cousin has the X-Men video of when the X-Men had their old costumes (Like the one in the Arcade game where you play as Cyclops, Dazzler, Colossus, etc.), and White Queen had that power.  
  
Polaris- She was my other obvious mutant: green hair and magnetic powers. Unlike the others, however, she is still a teenager (Alex's age). I've made this for rather obvious venues that I wish to pursue at another time. Well, I haven't quite come up with a look for her yet, but I will soon.  
  
Friction- He is the first mutant who I have created and is new to the Marvel universe. Friction has the power to slow down the molecules of anything that moves, which he first displayed against Quicksilver. I always thought it was dumb that Jean was usually the only who could stop Quicksilver, so I thought it would be cool to create a mutant who could "beat" Quicksilver at his own game. As far as looked go, right now, I know he wears all brown.  
  
G- Yes people, his name consists of only one letter. He's my other made up mutant and the leader of the Marauders. G has the power to manipulate and create different gravitational fields, making him very powerful. The reason why he wants to destroy the X-Men are not yet known, but it will become apparent as the plot thickens. By the way, he wears all black. 


	4. Fallen

Fallen

            Kitty sat in the X-Mansion's infirmary, her face completely void of any color.  Her normally wide and enthusiastic eyes now looked ragged and weary from all the crying.  Kitty slowly looked around the room.  

            Wanda was in the bed across from her.  Her face was covered in bruises and she had broken bones in numerous places on her body.  On the bed next to Wanda lay Todd.  Being the smallest and most fragile, Todd had suffered the most.  His face was much worse than Wanda's, and not only did he have several broken bones, but there were two very deep gashes: one on his right arm and the other on his right leg.  Pietro came next.  He may have suffered the least because he was further from the epicenter of the disaster than everyone else.

On Kitty's side of the room slept Freddie, who actually needed two beds.  Able to withstand enormous amounts of damage, Freddie looked almost normal.  His shoulders were covered in bruises and cuts because he tried keep the building from falling on to Todd.

            Kitty then turned her attention to the bed next to her.  Lance's face was protected by his helmet, and he only had minor cuts…but it was his spine that was of concern.  If Lance wasn't able to heal properly and quickly, he would be paralyzed from the waist down.  Kitty's eyes began to well up with tears again, so she covered her face in her hands.  Kitty turned away from Lance's bed and stared out the window…

*Flashback*

            It was pitch black, and Kitty couldn't see anything, not even herself.  She called out for her friends, for Lance…and there he was, staring at her in the distance.  She ran to him as fast as her feet could carry her.  Upon leaving the darkness, she found herself in the middle of a street surrounded by tall buildings.  She looked up to see that the sky was covered with dark, purplish-red clouds.  She looked around but Lance had disappeared.  She called out his name, but he did not appear this time.  Kitty began to shake; the feeling of being all alone was getting to her.

            The ground beneath her suddenly lurched, causing her to fall.  Kitty now looked shocked.  As she began to stand, another jolt threw her off balance.  The tremors came more frequently now, and were growing in intensity.  The clouds in the sky were swirling around like a swarm of bees.  The buildings around Kitty were finally giving way and crumbled before her eyes.  Kitty didn't know what to do.  She was too afraid.  The ground beneath her suddenly gave way and she fell.

            Kitty thought she was falling into the darkness…into nothing.  She didn't even utter a single scream.  She was so convinced that this was her end that she closed her eyes and awaited calmly for death to grasp her by its cold and numbing hand…but death didn't come.  Kitty landed hard on what looked to be a hill.  She glanced upwards and saw that the clouds were still jetting around like mad through the hole she had just fallen through.  

            Something caught her eye, and she craned her neck to see what it was.  It was too far up the hill, so she got up and walked towards.  At the hill's summit was a small tombstone.  Kitty was afraid to see who's name was on it, but knew that she had to find out.  She looked down and screamed…

            Kitty awoke with a jump, inside the Blackbird.  Those of her fellow X-Men, who had recovered from the Marauders's attack looked back at her.  Kitty was shivering and sweat was dripping from her head.  She closed her eyes and screamed inside her head…_Please be a dream…Oh, God, please be a dream_…

Kitty opened her eyes to see that Lance and his comrades were all lying in the back of the Blackbird.  She ran to Lance and held him in her arms.

*End Flashback*

            Kitty finally noticed her reflection in the mirror.  She saw how worn out she now looked.  Kitty hadn't left Lance's side ever since they had reached the mansion.  Xavier even allowed her to miss a couple days of school so that she could be with him.  The longer she looked at herself, the more disgusted she became…_What am I doing?  Look at me, wasting away just sitting here like this.  I shouldn't be crying…I should be doing something.  Yes, that's what Lance would do…It's what he would have wanted me to do._  The expression on her face was now of anger and determination.  _I swear I'll make those Marauders pay, even if it's the last thing I do._

**********

            The rest of the teens were eating breakfast.  Everyone was quiet, and the only sounds were those of utensils against plates and bowls.

Jubilee: You think that maybe we should check up on her.

Rogue: I think it's best if she just had time to herself.

Jubilee: But she's been in there for three days.

Jean: Jubilee's right.  It's not healthy for Kitty to spend all her time in an infirmary.

Scott: True, but none of us knows what she's going through.  We shouldn't rush her if she's not ready.

            The other teens nodded in agreement.

Bobby: What do you guys think the Marauders want with us?

            Everyone immediately stopped eating, some in mid-chew.  The subject hadn't been brought up since their return.  No one wanted to talk about it, especially while Kitty was still in the state that she was in.

Bobby: I'm mean really.  Why use the Brotherhood to get to us?

            Nobody seemed to be willing to give an answer.

Kitty: Because they wanted to eliminate the competition…

            Everyone turned towards the doorway and gasped.

All: Kitty!

Kitty: And because they new we would take it personally.

Kurt: Kitty, are you…are you…

Kitty: I'm fine.

Alex: Are you sure?  You don't look so hot.

Kitty: I know.  I'm about to go take a shower, and then I was thinking that we should all go out.

            The others looked at each other.

Jean: You sure you don't want to rest?  A lot's happened.

Jubilee: Yeah, you don't have to pretend everything's okay because…

Kitty: Guys, please stop.  I've finally realized that I'm not helping Lance or the others but just sitting around moping all the time.  Besides, being cooped up in a room like doesn't do much for a girl's complexion.

            Finally seeing their friend smile again, the teens mobbed her with hugs and began chattering like mad.  Once everyone had finished giving Kitty a hug, they finished their breakfasts and then prepared to go to the mall.

            At the mall, everyone noticed that Kitty wasn't her normal enthusiastic self, but they were glad that she was at last doing something fun.  No one mentioned the Brotherhood or the Marauders, but they didn't have to.  After about two hours at the mall, Jean received a telepathic message from Xavier.

Jean: Guys, we've got to go.  The Professor says he's found out where the Marauders are.

            As they left, Kitty clenched her fists.

            The X-Men met in Xavier's office, where he had a holographic projector all set up.

Xavier: This is an abandoned warehouse in the desert.

Bobby: Figures. (Xavier eyed him) Sorry.

Xavier: Unfortunately, the only thing I can tell you is the layout of the building and its surroundings.  That psychic of theirs is quite formidable.

Logan: Here's the plan.  There's an underground tunnel that runs along here. (He pointed at the holographic image)  Directly beneath the warehouse is a security room.  One group will go there to turn off the alarms.

Kurt: Couldn't I just go down there by myself.

Xavier: We don't know what's down there exactly, so we wouldn't want to put you in any unnecessary danger.

Logan: And the only access to the tunnel is from the warehouse itself, so we're going to have to blast our way down. (He looked at Scott who nodded)  Scott, Kurt, Jubilee, Jean and I will head there.  As for the rest of you, you'll wait for our signal.  Going in through the front is too risky, so you'll head in through the back.

Xavier: Now I want you all to be on your highest guard.  These mutants are very dangerous.

Logan: Is everyone set?

Jubilee: Hey, has anyone seen Kitty?

Scott: I think she went down to check on Lance.

Kitty: I'm here. (Kitty phased through the door)

Alex: Man, she always shows up just in time.

Jubilee: Shouldn't we tell her the plan?

Logan: I'll fill her in on the way.  Move out.

            They filed out one by one, but Xavier called Kitty back.

Xavier: Kitty, are you sure you don't want to stay behind?

Kitty: Don't worry Professor.  I'm fine, and they're going to need all the help they can get.

Xavier: All right, but I don't want what happened to the Brotherhood to affect your judgment.

Kitty: I won't.  (Kitty phased through the floor to reach the others)

            It didn't take long to arrive at their destination, but they had to land the Blackbird quite a ways, so as to avoid detection.  Wishing each other good luck, the two groups separated.  Upon finding the appropriate spot, Cyclops let loose his force beam and punched a hole through the earth in no time.  The five X-Men jumped down into complete darkness.

Scott: Jubilee, a little light please.

            Jubilee held up her hands and tiny multi-colored lights surrounded them.  The X-Men found themselves in a circular tunnel, whose ceiling was ten feet above them.  Because the tunnel had not been used in so long, the smell of mold and decay was rampant.  The X-Men covered their noses as they walked, except for Wolverine who, although despised the smell, had to keep his nose on the lookout.  They didn't have trouble finding the security room.

Nightcrawler: Well, that was easy.

Cyclops: A little too easy if you ask me.

Wolverine: Then you'll be glad to know that the hard part's just up ahead.  We can't just break in because that'll set off an alarm.

Nightcrawler: Then I'll just…

Wolverine: Whoa, there.  You can't just keep teleporting everywhere you want to.  The inside of that room is filled with motion detectors on the walls, floor, and ceiling.  You teleport in their and tell me where you plan on landing.  (Nightcrawler fell silent)

Jean: You don't have to be so hard on him.

Wolverine: We can't take any risks.  You know what the Marauders are capable of all, we all do.  So, this is how it's going to work.  (They huddled together and Wolverine explained)

            Nightcrawler did get his chance to teleport, but Jean had to hold him steady in mid-air.  Wolverine then gave Nightcrawler the codes to shut off the alarms.  To avoid setting anything off, Nightcrawler used his tail to type in the codes.  He then gave the thumbs up and teleported back out.

Cyclops: All right Jean, the signal. (Jean placed her hands on her temples and telepathically contacted Storm)

**********

Storm: It's time. (She motioned for the others to follow)  Shadowcat, go inside and make sure the coast is clear. 

            Shadowcat nodded and phased in.  Seconds later, she stuck her head through the door and told them it was safe.  The warehouse was much bigger than it looked.  It was three stories high, and half the size of the X-Mansion.  It didn't look like someone's hideout, but exactly like what it was, abandoned.

Rogue: Something doesn't feel right.

Havok: Yeah, it's too quiet.

Ice Man: Maybe we should wait for the others.

Storm: Negative.  We don't know how long it will take for them to get up here.  Now come on, the Marauders should be at the top floor.

            The X-Men found the nearest stair case and climbed it.  The second floor was full of hallways and doors, so the X-Men had to do some searching in order to find the room with stairs that lead to the top floor.  When the finally found it, they noticed someone was missing.

Havok: Where's Shadowcat?  (The others looked around)

Ice Man: Maybe she's still in another room. (Ice Man slid through the entire second floor, but came back empty-handed.

Havok: You don't think she…

            Filled with fear, the four X-Men ran up the stairs on to the final floor.

G: Nice of you to join us.  It's too bad you're too late.

            The X-Men then saw Shadowcat lying on the floor with a dagger next to her and gasped.

G: Don't worry she's not dead, but very soon, you all will be.

            Vertigo stepped up and held out her arms.  The X-Men were now on their knees, trying to resist the effects of her powers.  The Marauders' laughs were soon stifled when Nightcrawler appeared behind Vertigo and kicked her.  The rest of the X-Men entered the room moments later.

Wolverine: Nightcrawler, get Shadowcat out of here now and stay with her.

            Nightcrawler teleported to Shadowcat and then vanished with her.

G: Well, at least now you're all here.

Cyclops: You're going to pay for what you've done.  Everything is going to end here and now.

G: You're right, everything is going to end…for you.

            G snapped his fingers, and the Marauders went in for the kill.  Wolverine jumped for Friction, who raised his hands.  Wolverine found himself moving so slowly, but he could do anything.  Friction was so impressed by what he had done that he didn't notice Jubilee leaping out from behind Wolverine.  She was able to flash a ball of firework right in his face.  Staggering in pain, Friction let go of his hold on Wolverine.  Upon landing, Wolverine charged and then rammed into Friction.

            Vertigo, who had fully recovered from Nightcralwer's attack stretched out her arms again.  Ice Man managed to freeze Vertigo's legs.  As vertigo turned her efforts into freeing herself, Rogue took off her glove as she ran.  She stopped right in front of Vertigo, and the two glared at each other before Rogue smiled and punched her.

            Storm lunged for White Queen, who expertly flipped over her opponent.  Storm quickly recovered and threw a bolt of lightning.  White Queen jumped aside just in time.  She was preparing to attack with her psychic lance, when she heard a voice call out.

Jean: Oh, no you don't.

            White Queen turned around to see Jean's hands outstretched.  White Queen's hand was forced open, and the psy-lance fell, fizzling into thin air.  White Queen looked at Jean and was ready to attack her mentally when she was catapulted into the wall.

Havok: Aren't you kind of young to be fighting?

Polaris: I'll show you.

            In an instant, both Cyclops and Havok found themselves dodging a rather large metal crate.

Cyclops: I don't think taunting the enemy is good thing to do right now.

Havok: Sorry, bro, but I can't help it if she's cute.

Cyclops: What?

            Havok didn't get a chance to respond.  As he opened his mouth to speak, another crate slammed into Cyclops.

Havok: Cyclops!

            Havok turned to see two metal bars flying at him.  He was able to roll under them and in front of Polaris.  When he stood up, he tried to punch her, but she ducked and tripped him.  Havok then kicked her leg and she fell on top of him.

Havok: Whoa, hey!  I usually don't do this until after a couple dates, but hey, I like a little change too.

Polaris: Shut up!

Havok: Suit yourself, but you are going to pay for what you did to my bro.

            Polaris could feel Havok's hands move under her stomach and gave him a frightened look.  Havok quickly kissed her before blasting her off of him.

            The X-Men then turned to face G, who was standing the center of the room.  Jean was helping Cyclops get to his face.

Wolverine: This is it, bub.  You've got no where to run, and no one to help you.

Ice Man: Yeah…we've got you trapped.

            A malicious grin crept on to G's facing, quite to the surprise of the X-Men.

G: Speaking of traps, thank you for walking straight into ours.

            A couple of the X-Men gasped, and the Marauders, who had all completely recovered, shared the same grin G had.  G turned his head to his teammates and nodded.  The four Marauders each touched and "M" on their outfits and disappeared, much to the surprise of the X-Men.  G then held out a hand, palm up, and a little black ball formed.  It began to crackle, and the warehouse began to shake.

G: Within minutes, this entire building will be drawn into complete destruction by its gravitational pull…Oh, and, just so you know, I activated the lockdown system.

            Leaving the ball of gravity floating in the air, G touched his "M" and vanished.  The X-Men looked at each other in panic.

Storm: Everyone, out, now!

            There was a mad dash for the stairs, but like G said, finding the exit was going to prove difficult.  No one could remember from which door they had come from and had to use precious time to find the right door.  By this time, parts of the building were already beginning to fall to pieces.  The X-Men had to use their powers to avoid getting crushed by falling objects.

            Upon reaching the first floor, they noticed that the back door was completely blocked off.  They had all almost made it safely outside when a particularly powerful jolt caught Jubilee off balance.  Cyclops and Jean ran back to help their friend.

            The windows that hadn't already been destroyed were now being closed off by metal slabs.  The only opening was the front doorway, and Cyclops, Jubilee, and Jean were the only ones still inside.  They could see the others telling them to hurry.  Jubilee was the first to exit, followed by Cyclops.  Just as Jean was about to set foot outside, a clear barricade shot from the ground, sealing the doorway.  Jean pounded with her fists and cried out.  Seeing the frightening expressions on his teammates' faces, Cyclops whirled around to see his love trapped.  Not even thinking, he let loose a blast at the barricade.  His attack did not even cause a dent.  He fired a stronger blast, and was accompanied by Storm, Havok, and Jubilee.  Even their combined efforts proved futile, and the building was going to fully collapse at any moment.

Cyclops: Nightcrawler!  Get over here now!

            Nightcrawler appeared in seconds, and noticed that Jean was staring at him helplessly.  Just as he was about to teleport, the warehouse crumbled, causing large clouds of dust and debris to fly everywhere.  When everything finally settled, screams and shouts of horror filled the air.  The X-Men stood staring at was left of the warehouse.  The only thing still standing was the clear barricade.

            Anger and sorrow burning through his entire body, Cyclops began shooting at the rubble, in hopes of finding a sign that she was all right.  No one wanted to go near him, and most had their head buried in their hands.  Storm finally approached Cyclops and touched his shoulder.  When stopped to look at her, it pained her to see his face full of tears.  The look in her eyes made him calm down a bit, and he backed away.

            Storm floated into the air with her arms outstretched.  She then gazed up at they sky, her eyes completely white.  The wind around them began to take shape.  In mere moments, the funneling twister crashed down on the remains of the warehouse, lifting up all the rubble.  Storm then dispersed her tornado, and what the X-Men saw next astonished them even more.

            When the building collapsed, it caused the tunnels underground to cave in.  Where the surface of the earth had been was now huge hole, with pieces of metal and stone sticking out.

Cyclops: We have to keep trying.  She could be down there!

Wolverine: There's no use kid.  Even if she is down there, we'd never be able to find her.

Cyclops: Yes we can!  All we have to do is try!  We can't just leave her there!  Nightcrawler can.,.

Wolverine: You are not going to endanger anyone.  Start using your head.  The entire tunnel system has collapsed.  You'll just have to accept that fact that…

Cyclops: NO!!!

            Cyclops' fist landed on Wolverine's jaw, causing Wolverine to stagger back.

Cyclops: I'm not going to abandon her!  I'll find her on my own if I have too.

Havok: Bro…

Cyclops: Save it Alex.  My mind's made up, an no one's...

            Cyclops felt himself suddenly lose all feeling in his body.  As he slumped to the ground, Rogue could be seen behind him, with her hand out.  A tear fell from her face when she spoke.

Rogue: I'm sorry.

Storm: You did the right thing.

            One by one, the X-Men slowly walked back to the Blackbird.  Wolverine was the last to leave, and he was carrying Cyclops.  Wolverine whispered into the wind.

Wolverine: I promise to watch over him.

            Fighting back the tears, Wolverine followed the rest of the X-Men.

            This is such a sad chapter, and it was very hard for me to write.  Still, all of this was necessary for future events.  I hoped you all liked it.


End file.
